Sycamore Lane Apartments is an apartment complex located across the street from UC Davis. A common comment is that management is friendly and responsive and that maintenance is quick to fix problems reported by residents. Due to the mature trees in the area, the crow migration during the fall can add a nutrient rich covering to your car if parked anywhere in this area. Management has been known to pay for car washes or you could splurge on a car cover to protect your car paint.

Trader Joe's, U-Mall and Forever 21 are literally steps away. The apartments were completely renovated, inside and outside, in 2005. Several residents have commented that increased energy efficiency and sound proofing are a great result of the recent renovations.

Bicycle - Since Sycamore Lane Apartments is across the street from UC Davis campus, it is completely integrated into the Davis Bike Loop and there are bike lanes, bike paths, and bike-only connectors on all of the surrounding streets. Several of the famous Davis bike signals regulate the intersection of Sycamore and Russell, just a half block from Sycamore Lane Apartments.

Pedestrian - This complex is across the street from campus, meaning that it is in a great location for students. Another great amenity for walking residents is University Mall and Trader Joe's, which are next door to Sycamore Lane Apartments. In addition to the many services and products at the U-Mall, residents can always find entertainment at The Graduate. Also, Rite Aid is just a block away. Future residents of Sycamore Lane will be able to indulge their need to consume fashionable clothing with a two minute walk to Forever 21.

ADA Accessibility - There are 10 1br apartments that are ADA Accessible. Many of the other apartments are also visitable.

Photos

Leasing Office is located off Sycamore behind the U-Mall. There are lightning bolt bicycle racks throughout the property. The gazebo is a great place to study outside.

Historical Photos

Before construction began the south approach to the complex from the Sycamore Lane side looked like this. remodel in progress 05/21/2005 taken from Anderson Road side In 2005 they tried wowing new renters by hopping on the free iPods bandwagon.

Comments:

2009-02-08 00:21:27 We've lived here since September and have had such a good experience, we wanted to share! First of all, the location is extremely close to campus that you can bike to campus within minutes or take the G and J lines on the Anderson side and the C and B lines on the Sycamore. Being right behind the U-mall is a plus. We're renting a 1Bedroom/1Bath downstairs and it's really cozy for two. The kitchen appliances are really nice and we've never had any maintenance problems. The management is amazing! They've been cooperative in everything we needed and even lended us some furniture for the year. They also bake otis spunkmeyer cookies daily if you come early before they're all out... even then they say if you want some they can just bake them for you in 20 minutes. The apartment is pretty insulated so we rarely use the heater. I think the bad part is parking... it's doable but the parking lot is small making it difficult to back out sometimes. And the birds around the area are ridiculous...sooo much bird poop! Instead of spending so much money on car washes, we decided to invest in car washing supplies and a car cover. The management takes good care of the area and even washed all the cars in the parking lot once!!! YES THEY WASHED MY CAR! It was soon pooped on again but the gesture was nice. They go all out for holidays— I love it! They had a little event for moving in and then for Halloween where Joe and Pat dressed up and served food. During Christmas, the community lounge was blown out... they kept adding new decorations each time I went to check the mail including a huge Christmas tree, a train set around it, a fake fireplace, singing snowmen... you get the idea! We were iffy about the security at first but the management took measures to take proper precautions like telling us to make sure windows are locked during break, adding a bar to the sliding door glass for us...etc. The gym is pretty small scale, but we live so close to the arc it doesn't really matter. And about noise... we rarely here the neighbors upstairs unless they're vacuuming. We're thinking about staying, but they're raising rent so we'll probabaly move out to save some money. If you can afford it, we would highly recommend it! —MichVan

2009-02-14 22:28:01 Does anyone know what the rent is going to be for the '09-'10 year for a 2 bedroom apartment? —iag

2009-08-10 12:58:26 I've lived in this apartment (614 Sycamore Lane Apartments) for the past year, and actually signed the lease for the coming school year also (the new lease starts September 1st). That said, I found out I need to move to Sac for work starting next month, so I'm looking to transfer this lease over to someone (not a sub-lease, you will be treated as a new leaser, the apt will be professionally cleaned, etc.). The entire apartment complex is fully booked (not surprising since this is probably the nicest apt complex I've lived in so far, and the location is amazing). The only vacancy now is my apartment.

Anyhow, I've listed some pros and cons to this place below. The lease will begin starting September 1st, but if you need to move in sooner, we can probably figure something out with the apartment management. The rent is $1115 per month.

Pros: -Fantastic location: literally a 5 minute WALK to campus -Newly renovated, so all the appliances, carpet, etc., are only a few years old -Central air!! -You'll be taking over my discounted renewal lease rate, rather than the new lease rate. -Only $500 security deposit (cats allowed) -Double-paned windows (and very decent soundproofing, compared to the cardboard walls at my old LA apartment) -Super friendly apartment managers (I'm not kidding, they put out freshly baked cookies in the lobby everyday) -Usually a 1 day turnaround time for maintenance -1 free parking spot -Gym, Pool, etc.

Cons: -More expensive than other Davis apartments.

I'm not gonna lie, you can get a 1bedroom in davis for a couple hundred cheaper than $1115 a month. But for me, and clearly all the other residents in this fully occupied apartment complex, the pros I listed above are worth the extra two hundred a month. If you're a super broke college student, you're probably better off looking elsewhere, but if you can afford it, this is probably the best apartment complex in davis in terms of location, facilities, and staff.

2009-08-27 21:51:55 I lived at these apartments for a little over 3 years, and I can't stress enough about how great my experience was there. It's true that they are a bit pricier than other complexes, but I feel that I got what I paid for - a well kept and easy place to live. The laundry room was always clean and my apartment rarely had any complications with the lighting fixtures, appliances, etc. There were no pest problems, either. Maintenance was handled quickly when needed, and most importantly, the managers were always friendly and willing to help. They are extremely fair with the security deposit as well - make sure you take advantage of the initial and final inspection that they offer, and don't wait until the last minute! They are super helpful in letting you know what needs to be done to get it back. It was so convenient and close to campus; I highly recommend living here. —shopaholic

2009-11-18 14:36:31 I love this place. Its close to campus, CLEAN (few bugs and well maintained), and the management is nice. The maintenance always responds and fixes my problems on the same day. It is a bit expensive but its definitely worth it. I'm living in a 1 bedroom that I share with my boyfriend and theres a perfect size room for you to share. It's also conveniently located right next to campus, the U-Mall, Rite Aid, and just a short drive to Safeway and Downtown Davis. I would definitely recommend this place.

EDIT** The weather has been changing and there has been an influx of bugs. maybe its because i live on the ground floor... but its really disgusting!!! huge beetles and bugs.. (I don't know what they are called). Now I'm thoroughly grossed out.

@ElizabethLee - We're sorry that you were grossed out by the influx of bugs, we were too! Our pest control provider visits every Wednesday and treats the entire property. Pest control in and outside your apartment is FREE! In the future, if you have a problem inside your home, please let us know in the front office and we'll schedule a visit to solve your pest problem... at no charge. —rgortiz

2010-02-09 09:35:09 I was just wondering what the price of parking is? —MelC

2010-02-09 19:43:03 One parking spot is free, I don't know if you can have more than one, or if extra spaces cost. —OrofinJackson

2010-04-28 15:22:29 my roommates and i want to moving out of our place here because we can no afford it anymore! wondering if anyone would like to have our lease, live in a 2 bedroom townhouse here! the place is really nice but it has gotten really expensive here. our rent is 1775 comes with two parking spots and we have a washer and dryer unit here! let me know if anyone is interested. the place is really quiet. —bookworm

2010-11-30 22:52:07 I"ve been here since September and I love it!! It is a bit expensive but it's worth it because its a nice apartment with great management. You can have your own washer and dryer in the apartment and you get one parking spot per bedroom (3 for a four bedroom). There's always a waiting list for the multiple bedroom apartments but there's almost always a one bedroom apartment open. My only complaint is the parking lot. It is extremely narrow and the spots are very close together, making it very difficult to park and back out of your parking space. Other than that, love the place! —KathrynAzarvand

2011-03-07 10:44:55 This is a great place to live. Its mostly quiet and so close to campus. Rooms are huge and super nice. I live on the older side and I would have sworn my cabinets were new when I moved in, even though they were a few years old. Everything is durable and I've had almost no maintenance problems. When I do, management has them fixed within hours. The entire staff is helpful and very willing to work with you. The apartments are pretty well insulated, you hear some things, but mine tends to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Not perfect, but pretty good. My PG&E is usually under $20 a month for a 1bdrm and I have a washer and dryer. —HalleyFobes

2011-10-27 13:28:02 Kind of pricey but you pay for the location since it's less than a block from campus. The 1 bedroom apartments are decent sized, but if you get a 2 bedroom, the rooms sizes are very different. The apartments were recently remodeled but they used cheap materials in the apartment. For example the floors are linoleum and the countertops are porous which makes it hard to clean but I guess that's to be expected in apartments. If you live downstairs you can hear people talking in the upstairs apartment and you can also hear people in the apartments next to you through the walls.

They charge $50 extra to have a washer & dryer in your apartment otherwise you have to use the laundry room. They also charge you extra to have central heating and cooling in your apartment. Free parking but the parking spots are very tight so beware of people parking crooked or in 2 spots. You would assume they would have lots of bike parking spots due to the close proximity of campus but they don't so be prepared to lug your bike into your apartment since bike thefts have occurred right outside of people's apartments.

The managers and maintenance guys are nice, but sometimes the maintenance guys requires a couple of visits before something is fixed. They throw bbq's every once in a while with "free" food (that you paid for in the rent). There is a pool and gym which are pretty small.

@JackTran - Thank you for taking the time to comment on our Wiki page. As we continue to try and make things better for our residents we have taken your comments to heart. Unfortunately bike thefts are a problem throughout the city, but we can do better and we will. We have just purchased bike racks that can accommodate up to 60 more bikes and will be installing them shortly throughout the complex. We have also begun to strategically move existing bike racks around the complex to make them more accessible for residents to use.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention that we completely redid the parking lot this summer increasing the size of each parking space to allow more room for your cars. I agree that they were too small previously.—rgortiz

2012-03-05 22:59:23 My boyfriend and I lived here for 3 years. We only moved out because we were graduating. But our apartment was very nice and the management is very friendly. They treated us fairly and with honesty, unlike other apartment complexes we have dealt with. The apartment had new appliances and I had my very own washer and dryer in the unit, which cost extra per month, but was worth it! If I could afford it, I would move back. —EmilyHarris

2012-03-20 09:00:40 I've lived in this apartment(one bedroom) for almost a year, and I am satisfied.

Pros: Central heating/air conditioning. Washer/Dryer in unit.

Location. a minute access to B/C line and G/J line. biking to campus also doesn't take so long. Close to Umall!

Maintenance is quick and responsible. They react literally immediately. I have never waited more than a day to fix problems.

Too small closet. It is very, very very small. For a female college student, it's a huge problem. No walk-in closets for one bedroom

Not a good storage. The only storage in bathroom is little space behind the mirror and that's it. I'm having hard time keeping my big suitcase so it's in the small closet.

There are enough space in kitchen but in the bedroom and bathroom, no where to put anything.

And I want to point out the floor plan. I love to change furniture layout when I get bored, but this place has strange floor plan—window, closet&door, bathroom on each side of the wall— and almost impossible to change layout. The way they made their model apartment is the only solution I guess.

Mailbox is in the lounge and it closed at 10. I often come home pretty late and can't check my mails.

It seems like I have a lot of complains but it isn't. Those are minor problems; there is no perfect apartment. You would have any kind of complain anywhere. This apartment satisfies the most important key of apartments. But the one thing is this is not a luxurious apartment compare to its rent. It is clean and neat, but do not expect luxury. Not a good place to be if you are eager to live in with pretty&contemporary interior. I would strongly recommend if you can afford it. I signed lease for next year. —AK

2012-08-17 17:42:37 I would not recommend Sycamore Lane Apartments (SLA). As a newcomer to Davis, I was drawn to SLA because of the proximity to campus and Trader Joe's and the clean look to the complex and apartments. A year later, here is my take on the pros and cons of living there:

Pros: - Close to campus, TJ's - Repair man was friendly and relatively timely - Management was nice before move-out

Cons: - Air conditioning unit in the living room with no flow to the rest of the apartment - this may not be unique to SLA but it sure does make May-Sept in Davis pretty uncomfortable - Management

- Move-out was a nightmare. We were told there would be an initial inspection that would tell us exactly what needed to be cleaned before the final inspection which would determine our security deposit. We cleaned the apartment for 25 hours, and during the initial inspection, which lasted a total of 5 minutes, they pointed out 5 things that needed to be cleaned. Then, after more cleaning, at the final inspection, they didn't even check for the items pointed out in the initial inspection and went straight to telling me that the apartment was not "move-in ready" (read: not worth getting back our full security deposit). I could not believe that after following their recommendations and putting so much work in that they came back with more complaints in the final inspection. They told me that "they would be nice" and still give back the full deposit, though threatened to rescind the promise when I said that they should have been more thorough in their initial inspection. Three weeks later, I got back a check with $25 missing from the security deposit for yet another new complaint about the apartment.

- Not convenient to get in touch with - their office hours are 9-5 or so on the weekdays, precisely while I was at work so finding time to go into the office to collect a package or speak with management was a pain.

- The apartment:

- There seemed to be a smell coming from under the sink the entire year and though the repair man made it a bit better, it never went away

- The drawers in the kitchen are ridiculously tiny and placed in such a way that you can never get to anything. Echo the strange layout in comments of previous users

2013-07-18 05:05:59 I am interested to rent in this property and because it is almost always full I am posting this comment. If there is anyone who will leave his/her apartment and he/she will break the lease, I am interested to take over the lease and substitute my name instead of his/hers such that it wont be considered as lease break. If there is anyone serious please contact me at 7203250240 Hussain or my e- mail hussain-alzayer (AT) Live (dot) com —lover99509

2014-09-22 22:33:57 I have mixed feelings about this apartment and while there are tons of pros, I will not live here again. PROS -VERY close to campus. A 20 minute walk to the middle of campus, 5 minute bus ride, and 10 minute bike ride. -Close to important things like Student Health Center, Trader Joe's, ARC, Rite Aid, and some resturants -Very responsible and responsive maintenance man. I submitted request at night once and he came knocking at my door 2 hours later at around 10 PM. -The staff in the leasing office are friendly and polite enough. -Very low noise level, except I lived on the side facing St Paul's church so I would occasionally hear church choirs and children screaming (Note, these are all very important things in living in a great apartment complex and Sycamore Apartments do check all these off.)

CONS -Quite unattractive on the inside. The carpets are an ugly brown that exude feelings of misery and dirtiness, it is NEVER sunny in our apartment it was always dark, dingy, and musty so you have to turn on the ugly lights even during daytime, and the counters and bathrooms and whatnot are outdated looking -SUPER ugly in the surrounding areas. Facing the back of the u-mall, I felt like I was in an industrial town. The horrific, salmon colored scheme and run down shop selection of the U Mall certainly didn't help nor did the views of the roads leading to North Davis -$500 Deposit money. Yeah don't expect much of it back. I should have asked for a run through. I was okay with the cleaning fee, figured it was fair even though we did clean it quite spotlessly thank you very much before we left, just perhaps not the standards of the apartment...However they unfairly charged us for repainting the walls, despite the fact that we only placed 3 posters up with scotch tape and definitely DID NOT bang any of the furniture or body parts against the wall. Guess they got to make money somehow! -VERY expensive rent comparable to places like Berkeley and the Bay Area (even though we aren't anywhere near anywhere that matters) because of great location to UC Davis.

2014-10-07 19:04:55 We moved there last quarter and it's really nice, we want to share it!!

We are really close to the campus!! we just have to walk over 5-10 minutes and believe me, in Davis it's awesome. Also really close to the Trader joe's, Rite Aid, University mall.... and some restaurants. U don´t have to take the car during the week The staff manager in the office are friendly and the maintenance it's really fast.

For the moment the unique think that we are disagree is with the mailbox, the mail box are in the lounge and they closed at 10. —xeuin

2015-03-02 21:12:42 We've lived at Sycamore Lane for about 2 years (and we just signed our lease on a third), and it has truly been wonderful. Location is fantastic (especially for those at UC Davis), the grounds are lovely, the apartment is great, and best of all, the management and maintenance staff are *so nice and friendly.* Half of our loyalty to this place is just because of how great Pat, Ray, Joe and Eddard are. They have a few cookouts a year for the residents to hang out and get to know each other, and they usually bring in free donuts and coffee whenever final exams come around. The main building is a great place to study, with 25¢ espresso shots and occasionally free popcorn, and their gym was convenient enough to actually get me working out again! The only time we had trouble with anything was when our water heater suddenly went out. We were on our way out when we noticed it, and we were all panicked and in a rush, so we called the office immediately. They told us not to worry and they'd let themselves in while we got on with our day. Sure enough, just as we were leaving not 5 minutes later, Joe was there with his toolbox to fix the problem. Prompt, helpful, and super friendly while doing it! I love this place, and the people in it. =] —tamora